MSGTYPE

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messagetype
Author Pasi Kallinen
Download link
NetHack PatchDB 397

MSGTYPE is a patch for NetHack 3.4.3 which adds configuration options allowing the user to change how messages are displayed. Nethack.alt.org and UnNetHack have it applied.

For example whether a message always waits for --MORE--, or if it's never shown, or if it's never shown more than once in a row.

Potential uses are:

  • to call attention to delayed instadeaths.
  • an automatic Elbereth spellchecker,
  • to miminize --MORE--'s to page through. No more redundant or blatantly obvious messages,
  • focus attention on the important parts of battle by removing the less serious "spam",
  • to kill typeahead in dangerous or conduct-wrecking situations,
  • reduce typing work a la "You carefully open your bag" space.

You might want different configurations for different stages of the game.

The format is

MSGTYPE=foo "string to match"

Where "foo" is one of "hide", "stop" or "norep", and the string to match is a message to be matched, with '*' and '?' wildcard expansion.

  • "hide" hides the message, so it's never shown.
  • "stop" always prompts for --MORE-- after the message.
  • "norep" shows the message, but not again if no other message is shown in between.
  • "show" shows the message, each time. This is the default.

The last matching rule is used. Put the general case first, exceptions below them.

# displacing pets
MSGTYPE=hide "You displaced *"
# items on floor
MSGTYPE=norep "You see here a *"
MSGTYPE=norep "You see here an *"
# delayed instadeaths
MSGTYPE=stop "The couatl swings itself around you!"
MSGTYPE=stop "The electric eel swings itself around you!"
MSGTYPE=stop "The giant eel swings itself around you!"
MSGTYPE=stop "The kraken swings itself around you!"
MSGTYPE=stop "The python grabs you!"
MSGTYPE=stop "You don't feel very well."
MSGTYPE=stop "You are turning a little green."
MSGTYPE=stop "Your limbs are getting oozy."
MSGTYPE=stop "Your skin begins to peel away."
MSGTYPE=stop "You are turning into a green slime."
MSGTYPE=stop "You are slowing down."
MSGTYPE=stop "Your limbs are stiffening."
MSGTYPE=stop "It constricts your throat!"
MSGTYPE=stop "You find it hard to breathe."
MSGTYPE=stop "You're gasping for air."
MSGTYPE=stop "Your blood is having trouble reaching your brain."
MSGTYPE=stop "You can no longer breathe."
MSGTYPE=stop "You're turning blue."
MSGTYPE=stop "Your consciousness is fading."
MSGTYPE=stop "You feel deathly sick."
MSGTYPE=stop "You feel much worse."
MSGTYPE=stop "You feel even worse."
#Things that aren't dangerous by themselves but could kill you if you don't notice.
MSGTYPE=stop "You fail to cast the spell correctly."
MSGTYPE=stop "You see here a cockatrice corpse."
MSGTYPE=stop "You see here a chickatrice corpse."
MSGTYPE=stop "You are beginning to feel weak."


"Stop" will also kill typeahead if you use the tty interface. For example, this will make it harder to miss the vibrating square due to inattentiveness:

MSGTYPE=stop "You feel a strange vibration under your *."
MSGTYPE=stop "You feel a strange vibration beneath you."

Tjr has a much more involved sample config, scorchgeek's rcfile is also very good source of ideas.